Fixing The Past
by Snowhusky369
Summary: Akatsuki Ane has been living in the past for 10 years now. At the age of 18, she's starving to death and can't seem to find any solid ground to pull herself out of her mess. Then, she meets her old enemy: Kenshin Himura. With his help and patience, will she finally learn to let go and move on?
1. Chapter 1

I'm so tired. I'm lying up against the walls around a building, a dojo. I do not bother to look up at the people passing by me. My face is smudged with dirt, my long white hair turned a dull brown with the mud and grime I have become coated in. My stomach gurgles out its protest to me, telling me about how empty it was. It's been talking non-stop for a few days now. I struggled just to drag myself here and now I am resting against the wall, wanting only to fall asleep to never wake up. The snow is piling up, deep and cold to the touch. I cannot feel my fingers or my toes and the snow bites my skin like sharp needles. I try to regenerate warmth by curling up into a tight ball, hoping to keep in the warmth. "Hey look, Kaoru! Who's that?" a voice called out and someone hushed him. "Yahiko, don't get her attention. She's just another beggar waiting to take anything and everything we have. Don't make eye-contact and keep walking."

"Hello?" a voice questioned, both soft and gentle. I opened my eyes and barely lifted my head to look up. In front of me crouched a small man with long red hair and violet eyes. He smiled at me and I noted the scar on his cheek. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice raw and cracking from the lack of use. "I'll go find somewhere to stay. I didn't know this area was lived on." I tried to push myself up but my arms could barely hold, trembling with the strain, and I fell back down. "Let this one help you." I looked up again and he smiled at me, calmly and with kindness, and I was shocked into silence. With great care, the man picked me up bridal-style and carried me inside the walls and past a woman who watched with interested eyes. "You may not recognize me but I recognize you, Hitokiri Gin. Welcome to my home." My heart skipped a beat and I stared at him, unsure of what to say or how to react. I stared at his face, trying to read his eyes, and he let out a laugh, his eyes kind and caring. "Wh-who?" I started and he silenced me with a smile. "You once knew me as Hitokiri Battousai. Now, I go as Himura Kenshin." Battousai? Of course. I stared at him, my mouth dropped in shock as the realization of who he was washed over me.

"Do you still go by Hitokiri Gin or do you go by something else?" he asked as the background slowly changed from that of a hallway to a room. I hesitated, unsure if I should tell him or not. Finally, I squeaked out, " Akatsuki Ane." "You go by Akatsuki Ane?" he asked, surprised slightly. "Yes. But it does not matter. No one but you and I know my real name now." I felt myself being lowered and I was laid on a futon. Weariness overcame my body and I struggled to keep my eyes open. "It's okay. Sleep. You'll be safe with this one." I don't know why but something told me to trust him so I did. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as the girl had fallen asleep, Kaoru came rushing in with a bowl of clean water and a clean rag. "I sent Yahiko after the vixen," Kaoru stated, brushing past Kenshin and sitting down beside the girl's head. "Poor girl," Kaory clucked, cleaning Ane's face with a wet rag as best as she could. Almost as soon as Kenshin had placed the girl on his futon, she had went unconscious, unable to keep her eyes open much longer. "I must get her some clean, more modest clothes." As she began to brush Ane's long white bangs away from her face, the girl caught her wrist and frowned, opening one eye to peer at Kaoru, the crystal blueness both icy cold and emotionless. "I have no need for modesty," she growled, releasing Kaoru's hand with a sharp abruptness. Turning around, she turned her back on Kaoru and fell back to sleep.

"I'll say. That was very rude," Kaoru huffed and Kenshin trotted over to her and took her by the hand, leading her out in the hallway. "Akatsuki Ane is a special case, that she is, Miss Kaoru. If you knew her history as this one does, you would understand why she acted the way she did. Please do not be offended," Kenshin stated gently and Kaoru put her hands on her hips, huffing in displeasure. "Why did you bring her in here in the first place, Kenshin? We don't have enough money to support yet another mouth." "Tonight, before bed, I shall explain everything to you, Miss Kaoru, that I will. I promise." "You better!" With that, Kaoru stomped off, only to be headed off by Megumi and steered back towards Kenshin's room. "Let go of me, you vixen!" Kaoru snapped and Megumi shrugged, withdrawing her hands. "What do you need, Ken-san?" she asked the red-headed warrior, completely ignoring Kaoru's glares. "I have a new patient for you. I need you to do everything possible to ensure that she lives for she is very important in my past."

Confusion swept across Megumi's pale face but she just nodded instead and followed Kenshin into the room, Kaoru stomping in behind her to make sure she wouldn't try anything on Kenshin. "Oh my," the female doctor gasped, coming quickly to where Ane laid on the futon. "Poor child. Starved, dehydrated, frostbitten, and in a complete state of heartbroken loss. Where did you find her, Kenshin?" she asked and Kenshin brushed his hands through his ponytail. "Outside against the wall. I recognized her instantly and brought her in as quickly as I could, that I did." "Well, the first thing we need to do is give her a bath. She needs to be cleaned so I can better help her. Kenshin, can you take her to the bathing house?" "Of course," Kenshin replied, nodding his head. Gently, he picked up the small girl's body in his arms, her entire body just a deadweight. Don't die on us, Akatsuki Ane, he thought as he carried her outside and to the warm bathing house.

Steam rose up inside from the burning logs in the fire outside that Sanosuke must have prepared while they were gone. At that moment, Kenshin had never been so happy to have the bath already warmed and prepared. "Hold her up Ken-san, while we undress her," Megumi instructed and he did as he was told, holding her up on her feet while Megumi and Kaoru quickly peeled off each layer of clothes the girl wore. "Now Ken-san, carefully lower her into the water. Go slow so that her body has time to adjust to the change in temperatures." Following every instruction carefully, Kenshin finally had her in the water and under Megumi and Kaoru's care. Leaving the house to give them some privacy, Kenshin took Ane's clothes and washed them carefully, cleaning the grime and stains from the outrageously immodest kimono and the baggy white pants. Finally, they were perfectly clean and Kenshin felt satisfied with how they looked. Gently, he hung the clothes on a rack in front of a fireplace and let out a sigh.

"There you are, Ken-san. Megumi wants you to come help us lift the girl out of the tub and carry her back to your room. I'm to make sure your futon is sterilized as to not give her any infections. Do you have any freshly clean sheets?" "That I do, Miss Kaoru. That I do." Kenshin motioned to the newly dried sheets hanging up and brushed past her, trotting back out to the bathing area. Inside stood Megumi, keeping Ane's head up out of the water by holding her shoulders. Freshly bathed, Kenshin could definitely tell that this was the girl he had met all those years ago. Her long white hair shined bright under the rippling light, whiter than snow, and, with all that hair swept out of the way, her white wolf ears stuck out like a sore thumb. "I tried the best I could to keep water out of her ears as to not clog them up with water. It was hard with how big the openings to her ears actually are. Either way, Kenshin, I need you to lift her out and I'll wrap her up in a towel. As soon as she is wrapped up, I need you to go at full speed to your room. I know you can get her there without exposing her too much to the cold. Ready?"

Kenshin came over and pulled back his kimono sleeves before grabbing her shoulders just like Megumi had done. Carefully, he pulled her out of the bath, water dripping from her body in streams and soaking his kimono front through. "Here," Megumi started, wrapping a fluffy, cotton towel around Ane's frail, small body, and then she wrapped her hair up into a towel as well. "Okay, I'll meet you in your room, Kenshin. Hurry." As soon as the door was opened, Kenshin dashed out, running at godspeed, even with the extra weight. Screeching to a stop in his room, Kenshin walked slowly over to his futon, a fresh white sheet laid out and ready to be used. Gently, he laid her down in the futon and Ane let out a grunt. Now with all the grime and dirt cleaned off, Kenshin felt his heart sink at the sight in front of him. Here was the empty shell of a girl who had, at one time, been so bright and full of life. What had happened to her in those ten years that had made her become so hopeless?

From her fingers to her shoulders, trails of purple and blue spread up her arms and her face was so bony from lack of nourishment. On instinct, Kenshin worried about how easily breakable she was now that she looked the way she did. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he turned to find himself looking at Kaoru. "Don't worry, Ken-san. She's stronger than she looks. She'll be alright. After you left, she stirred and tried to give us some trouble. We were able to overcome her and she went unconscious but, she showed her strength while she was awake." Kenshin let out a laugh. "That sounds like Hitokiri Gin, that it does. When I knew her all those years ago, she gave me quite a stir, that she did." Megumi appeared, carrying her medical box in her left hand. "Let me through, Kenshin," she ordered before pushing past the scarlet-haired man. "Get out and give us some privacy," she ordered, setting down her box and sitting down beside Ane. Kaoru gently pushed Kenshin out of the room and smiled a gentle smile at him. "She's in good hands, Ken-san." "I know," Kenshin sighed miserably. "I want to help." "How about you make some chicken broth soup? Something this girl can easily digest? While you're at it, warm up some tea too. We need her to eat and drink something as soon as possible." Kenshin nodded and watched until the door was slid shut. He heaved another sigh, this time a very heavy one, and walked down the path to the kitchen.

Sanosuke and Yahiko were lounging around in the kitchen, already having helped themselves to the rice balls Kenshin had made. "Hey little buddy," Sanosuke greeted, throwing a drowsy smile at Kenshin. "How'd you like your nice warm bath?" Kenshin smiled back at the spikey-haired brunette and calmly answered, "I didn't use the bath." "Wait, what? Wasn't someone just using the bathing house?" "Yeah. It was the strange girl Kenshin had brought in even though Ugly didn't want him to." "Care to explain?" Kenshin shook his head slowly. "I'll explain it to all of you tonight after she has been taken care of. Now, if you both shall excuse me, I must make her some tea and soup, that I must."

The two left Kenshin alone in the kitchen and he was able to quickly make a thin soup from chicken broth, leaving out all spices and other things that could cause her trouble in digesting. Then, he warmed up some freshly brewed tea, making it warm enough to feel good but not so hot that it would burn her tongue. Bringing a bowl of the soup and a cup of the tea, he walked back to his room and, surprisingly, found the door open. Peeking inside, he saw Megumi sitting beside Ane's still form, waiting for the food and tea. "Here you go," Kenshin stated, handing the female doctor the bowl and the cup. "Perfect. Thank you." Stepping back to let Megumi work, Kenshin looked the girl up and down. Her arms were wrapped in bandages from the tips of her fingers to her upper shoulders. "Frostbite," Megumi explained as she slowly lifted Ane's limp upper body to help her to not choke on the food. Tipping the bowl against Ane's lips, she began to pour the broth into her mouth. "Easy now, Ane. You need to swallow this," Megumi coaxed and Kenshin could've sworn he saw the girl's eyes flutter open for just a second before she obeyed and swallowed the broth. About halfway through the bowl, Ane groaned, and turned her head to the side, signalling that she couldn't take enough. "That's alright. She's taken in enough for now. Tomorrow, hopefully, she'll be able to take in more. We'll just have to wait and see." Kenshin nodded and Megumi motioned him over. "Try and get her to drink some of this tea. I'm going to go on and go back to the clinic to gather some ointment for Ane's frostbite. Hopefully, we can save her arms."

Kenshin replaced Megumi and gently pressed the cup against Ane's lips, tipping the cup so that the warm, brown liquid slid into her mouth. The door slid shut and Kenshin found himself alone in this room with Ane. "Just drink and rest," he whispered to the girl and her eyes fluttered opened, tired and unfocused.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm so tired. I should still be asleep but I couldn't help it. Slowly, I opened my eyes and found myself staring into Battousai's violet eyes. "Battousai?" I gasped and he smiled at me gently, his eyes full of gentle concern. "Call me Kenshin." "Kenshin?" "Yes. That is what I go by now in this time of peace." "Why do you help me?" I asked and the man held the tea to my lips to drink. I swallowed slowly, allowing my mind to wander. "I am helping you because you are no longer my enemy. That was ten years ago and that is past to me." I stared at him, unable to understand what he was telling me. "So, you've just completely forgotten that I used to be your enemy?" "Not forgotten. Just no longer believe it, that I do not."

I looked away from him, mildly confused, and stared at my arms which laid at my side, wrapped in white and basically useless. I tried to move them but was only rewarded with a slight burning. "Am I…" I hesitated, looking back up into Kenshin's violet gaze. "Am I going to be able to move my arms again?" I had heard the woman doctor talking about frostbite in my arms and not being able to possibly ever move them again. I hope this was not the case. Kenshin sighed and looked away for a second. I could tell that he didn't want to tell me honestly. "This one does not know, that I do not. Only time will tell."

I grew quiet, accepting his answering without question. "Do you remember much of the past, Kenshin?" I asked after a little bit. "I do." "What do you regret most?" I inquired and he took a few minutes to think carefully on his answer. "The thing I regret most is leaving Shishou and becoming a killer. If only I had listened to Shishou and stayed to train with him. What about you?" I looked away from the red-haired man and sighed. "I regret being born. If I hadn't been, none of the deaths I have caused would be." He looked at me, his violet eyes wide and full of unasked questions. "A lot has happened since I last saw you, Kenshin. Even you have changed. I don't know how to keep up with all this change. I tried but I can't. I am still living in the Meiji Revolution. I can't get a job and I can't return home. I-I I don't know what to do." The man, Kenshin, looked away and took a moment to pick his words carefully. "I have said this many times before but it is a good and true thing to say. You can die at any time. Living on is what takes true courage. Do you understand what I am saying, Ane?" I stared at him for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I think I do. Thank you, Kenshin. Thank you for saving me."

 _ **That Night**_

After Kenshin had fed Ane some more broth and some tea mixed with Megumi's painkillers and medicine, he made sure Ane was comfortable and waited beside the futon until she fell asleep. Considering all of her medical conditions at the moment, they had all become quite aware of the fact that she was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. Due to this situation, before going to bed, Kenshin and Sanosuke were tasked with moving her arms, legs, fingers, and her toes every night until she gained usage of them again. "It's to make sure her muscles remain strong and down get wasted away," Megumi had told them.

Sitting down on a pillow, Kenshin avoided the stares of everyone there. "Well come out with it Kenshin!" Yahiko cried impatiently. "What's this all about with that girl?" Kenshin smiled at the boy and picked up his tea before repositioning himself against the door frame. "We now know this girl as Akatsuki Ane but ten years ago, this one once knew her as Hitokiri Yuki." "No way! That girl was a manslayer?" Sanosuke bursted out, shocked severely. "Yes. She was so young at the time. No doubt she's changed so much since then." His eyes grew distant, sad, but he continued to talk.

"Not much is known about her early history. I do know that she was stolen off of the streets by slave traders and sold to a very abusive master. She was only six or seven at the time. I was a young boy, angry and reckless. The first time I met her, she was protecting a person I was assigned to kill. We fought. She was so smart and slick for such a young child, always thinking one step ahead. I noticed a lot of things about her from how skinny she was to how tall she was for a child. I saw the bruises all over her tiny face but, at the time, I thought nothing of it. Now, I wish I had. During the battle, I began to realize that she was winning and I was losing. So, I resorted to a cheap move." Kenshin squeezed his hands tightly around the cup. "I used my katana to slice open the top of her forehead so she was blinded by her own blood. That is why her right eye is blood red. It is permanently stained by the blood I had caused to shed. In the end, she failed her mission and I exceeded mine. We met a few times after that but she always stayed on her own victims and I on mine."

Looking up, he stared sadly past his friends at some memory far away. "After the Meiji Era came in, she disappeared. I didn't know what had happened to that poor little girl until now. She's constantly haunted my dreams and now that I know that she's here and safe with me, I feel like those dreams will no longer be as bad." He shuttered and shook his head, snapping back into the present. "How did you know it was her?" Kaoru asked gently. "I first suspected her when I saw the snow white hair. She is the only person I've ever heard of who has snow white hair and is not an older person. When I spoke to her, though, she looked up at me and I saw her red eye." "So that's why you insisted on bringing her inside." "Yes, that is the reason. I don't know why but, I feel a deep protectiveness towards her. I do not wish that she go through any more unnecessary pain. I wish she could go through life as a normal girl."

"But Ken-san, if she really was an assassin, her life will be anything but normal," Yahiko pointed out and Kenshin flashed him a small smile. "I know but, this one just hopes that with all your help, maybe her life can be a little more comfortable." "Well, go ahead and count me in, Ken-san. Judging by what you have said, I think she had had a really hard childhood. I want to help her find peace and happiness," Kaoru stated, smiling gently at the red-headed ex-hitokiri. "Thank you, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin murmured, smiling back at her.


End file.
